


Close, Very Very Close

by bestliars



Series: they would be ridiculous ladies [1]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Cats, F/F, F/M, Female Friendship, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-24
Updated: 2012-09-24
Packaged: 2017-11-14 22:29:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/520177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bestliars/pseuds/bestliars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Jenni Carter almost becomes the the crazy cat lady of Columbus, Ohio, before fate intervenes to bring her to where she really belongs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Close, Very Very Close

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Stellarer, who's the best ever. She inspired this and betaed it and didn't make fun of me for using the word it twice in a row but patiently fixed it instead. <3

Jennifer Carter is officially blaming everything that happens on Mike Richard’s breasts. This  might make sense eventually, and if not, it isn’t like they can’t handle the blame.

 

It begins in Finland. They’re eighteen, and they’re representing Canada at World Juniors. Life is grand.

 

Jenni doesn't spend a lot of time thinking about breasts that aren't her own, except sometimes to be jealous, but really that's still thinking about her own breasts in comparison to someone else's. She's pretty flat chested. Really, there's almost nothing there. There are definitely some upsides as an athlete, but sometimes she really wishes that she had real boobs, even if they would mostly get in the way.

 

She doesn't know how she can’t not notice breasts that aren't hers right now, because seriously, wow. Jenni and Mike are the girls on team this year so they have a little changing room all to themselves. Jenn knows how locker rooms work, she knows when to avert her eyes, but then Mike says something and she turns her head to answer and there it is, the majestic wonder of Mikkeline Richards’ untamed chest.

 

She's spent a lot of time with Mike, but generally in shirt-on situations, which were apparently really shirt-and-sports-bra-with-serious-compression-power-on situations. Very serious. Normally Mike looks like a regular girl with average sized breasts, but without a bra on it's obvious that she's, like, epically stacked. Jenni is a bit jealous, but mostly she's just in awe.

 

She was probably staring, judging from the way Mike laughed at her before grabbing a shirt. Mike made a dumb joke about big breasted women and then the conversation wandered along. Jenn can’t remember the joke, but she knows it was dumb, because all of their jokes were dumb back then.

 

They’ve gotten better since then. Probably. Jenn would like to think so.

 

They didn’t talk about it, but the memory sticks with Jenn. It visits late at night when she can’t sleep, and on road trips where she’s the only girl and doesn’t have anyone to beg a tampon from. From the beginning it seems clear that she’ll never forget Mike Richards’ breasts.

 

=

 

Eventually the novelty wears off. Mike still has an impressive rack, but Jenni catches glimpses in the locker room, and the wife beaters Mike likes to sleep in don’t hide anything. Mike’s boobs more or less become part of the scenery in Philadelphia, just like the bright orange jerseys and slut-shaming sports journalists who can’t handle having a female captain who isn’t a prude. (Don’t they realize that they’re the Flyers, so being the opposite of Sydney Crosby is _a very good thing?!?_ )

 

Their first kiss is almost certainly the result of some poor decision making. Jenni really enjoys it, but from the start she knows it isn’t exactly a great idea. It makes sense that they’re on the road when it happens, because it never would have happened in Philly. They at least try to keep shit quiet in Philly, because people care there and even though beat reporters stare at Jenni’s legs when she wears dresses instead of suits on game days they still write about how it’s bad for the team that Mike and her have a reputation as “loose women,” which is _bullshit_. Their real reputation is for _being awesome and scoring goals_. They’re in New York City when it happens, out at a bar, not just chilling with the guys, but actively looking to pick up.

 

Jenni’s still flat chested, but she’s also fucking tall and blonde, and that works pretty well for her. Mike is wearing a tight scoop neck t-shirt over a bra that’s designed to lift and separate, not squash, so half the guys in the place are staring at her chest, including a couple of their teammates. Jenni isn’t jealous; Mike’s too good of a friend, being jealous would be dumb. Besides, Mike’s looking out for both of them.

 

Mike picks who she’s gonna let buy her a drink, and he has a cute friend too, and Jenni’s happy to follow them back to their table. The guys names are Brad and Troy; they work for some bank and have gym muscles and good hair. By the time they all piling into one cab back to the hotel to continue the party they’re all pretty tipsy.

 

When they get to the hotel they’re laughing at something they can’t remember, stumbling, and getting out tiny bottles from the mini fridge. Mike sits down on one of the beds and Jenn plops down and leans into her friend’s side. Mike smells mostly like shampoo and beer, and a little bit like hockey gear.  Jenni’s too tall to really lean on Mike’s shoulder, so her face is pressed in the other girl’s hair. Jenni loves how Mike’s shampoo smells; she steals it all the time on the road.

 

Troy, or maybe Brad—Jenn can’t tell their voices apart—says, “It would be so hot if the two of you made out.”

 

Jenni giggles. Kissing Mike would be weird. Maybe soft and nice too, but super weird.

 

Mike doesn’t laugh, she says, “We will if you do first.”

 

Jenni doesn't expect them to agree but Brad says, “Ok,” and Mike says, “It’s a deal.”

 

Jenni wants to see this, so she sits up straight and stares at the bed across from them.

 

Hot boys kissing is hot. This shouldn’t be surprising, but kind of is. Jenn should maybe start watching gay porn. The kiss is messy and forceful, aggressive in a manner that Jenn struggles to communicate that she wants. The guys she picks up either don’t kiss, which she understands, or they try to be all _sweet_ about it, like she’s fragile, which is _dumb_. She’s a hockey player.

 

She’s never really spent a lot of time watching anyone make out before, let alone two guys. She knows that some of her teammates were hooking up with each other during juniors, but that wasn’t happening out in the open, and anyway, it isn’t considered polite to stare. Here she can look as long as she wants; this kiss is happening for her viewing pleasure. It’s exhilarating.

 

After a while Troy turns to them and says, “Alright, your turn now.”

 

Jenn bets she’s blushing like crazy. She’d been so into it she’d forgotten the bargain. It’s gonna be so weird.

 

Richie doesn’t have the same apprehensions because she’s telling the boys to pay attention and then she’s swinging around and climbing into Jenn’s lap. It’s surprising, and not completely comfortable, but Mike tucks Jenn’s hair behind her ear and asks, “This is okay, right?” and when Jenni takes a moment to think, it totally is. She settles her hands on Richie’s hips to stop them from falling over and nods.

 

Then Mike leans in and kisses her, softly for just a second, then harder, with tongue. Mike bites her lower lip and Jenn wonders if that’s something they’ve talked about, or if it’s something Mike’s noticed, or if it’s just a lucky coincidence, but it’s exactly what Jenn wants.

 

It’s a great kiss but it can’t last; they aren’t kissing because it’s nice, they’re kissing for some guys they met in a bar, like sorority sisters on spring break. When Mike pulls away to take a deep breath there’s a low wolf-whistle to remind them of them of the men in the room. Mike gets up and then it’s like any other night.

 

Troy might look good kissing, but he isn’t great in bed. Jenni’s blaming his inability to keep her attention accountable for her glancing over at the other bed. She wanted to check that Richie was having a better time. Sometimes they’ve both wound up with guys who aren’t very good at sex, and they’ve tried to one up each other’s fake orgasms without sounding really dumb. It’s harder than it seems.

 

Brad knows what he’s doing, or Richie knows how to get what she wants, or something. There won’t be any shared commiseratory eye rolls. Mike is riding him and her tits are bouncing majestically. Gravity is magical.

 

Jenn might feel bad about getting off on porn starring her best friend, but the alternative is not getting off, so she sneaks her hand down to rub at her clit. It’s not like Richie would mind. Richie is pro Jenn getting off. Richie kissed her. This isn’t the first time the noises Mike’s making in the other bed have been more interesting than the man in bed with her, on top of her, inside her, but it is the first time where she can hear those sounds and remember the way Mike’s lips felt against hers.

 

=

 

The trades suck. There isn’t much more to say.

 

Mike is already in Canada when shit goes down, but she comes back to clean out her apartment, and after that she drives to Sea Isle. They could go to out or hang on the beach or do something, do anything, but they end up watching bad tv and drinking on Jenni’s couch.

 

It gets late and Jenni gets drowsy as well drunk. She doesn’t know what they’re watching. Richie has the remote. It might be the food network, or at least it seems like everytime she looks at the screen there’s more cake. She isn’t looking at the screen a whole lot, because that means keeping her eyes open. At some point she slouched over onto Mike. It wasn’t that comfortable at first, but she was too tired to sit up straight and then Mike rearranged it so they’re basically spooning. Mike is the big spoon; she has the remote; she’s going to L.A. later, but right now she’s warm against Jenni’s back.

 

It hits her that they won’t get to do this again for a long time. Richie is the best friend and they’ve been together for such a long time that Jenn has a hard time remembering what it’s like playing on a team without Richie.

 

Jenni turns around so she can look at Mike’s eyes. They’re big and brown and glaring at her for being squirmy, but Mike glares a lot and Jenn can tell her heart isn’t in it right now. Mike glares are meant  for other people, not her. Mike thinks she’s great. Mike kissed her once.

 

It’s the best kiss Jenni can remember. This could be because she mostly kisses random guys while drunk and she’s way more likely to remember kissing her best friend, but really it was just a great kiss. If Jenn had perfect recall of all the kisses ever in her life that kiss would definitely be in the top five.

 

Jenni should probably kiss Mike because Mike is her best friend a really good kisser and if Jenn kisses Mike now then Mike will have a good memory of her to think about in Los Angeles. Jenn wants to be remembered. And Mike’s face is right there. Mike isn’t wearing any makeup, because what’s the point for just hanging out, but her lips are still really pink.

 

Jenni wants to kiss them so she does.

 

It’s a nice kiss, short, but solid.

 

Mike pulls away gently,  and says, “We aren’t doing this now. You should go to sleep.”

 

That sounds like a good plan. Jenni is tired. She’s moving to Ohio, and Mike won’t be there, but Mike is here now, right beside her. It’s easy to close her eyes and think of nothing.

 

=

 

There aren’t any girls on the Blue Jackets roster; Jenni hasn’t felt this lonely in years. Maybe she will get a cat. Maybe she will get a lot of cats. She can become the crazy cat lady of Columbus. That sounds like as much fun as everything else in Columbus.

 

Mike doesn’t like cats, but that doesn’t matter, because Mike is very far away. Jenn misses Arnold. Arnold probably misses her too. She’s Arnold’s second favorite person ever. (Arnold’s favorite person ever is Mike; so is Jenni’s.)

 

If Jenni got a bunch of cats then she would have something to think about other than how terrible Columbus is. She needs a distraction. She can’t tell if Rick Nash is flirting with her. She hopes he isn’t. If she had a cat then she could say, “Sorry Rick Nash, I can’t go out with the guys tonight, I have to feed my cat.” That would be really fucking lame, but not being lame in Columbus is a hopeless cause. She should embrace the complete aura of lameness, and get a bunch of cats.

 

If she had cats to think about then maybe she would spend less time thinking about what Mike meant when she said,  “We’re not doing this now.”

 

Jenn has no idea what that means. Could they have done that earlier? Could they still? Precisely what is Mike referring to with the word “this.” The mystery is driving her crazy. She can’t just ask.

 

She talks to Mike on the phone a couple times a week. Mike talks about Manhattan Beach and Arnold, and Jenn doesn’t talk about cats. Mike offers to punch Rick Nash if he doesn’t stop flirting, which is a nice of her, but Jenni still can’t tell if she’s getting hit on or if he’s really just a friendly guy who’s enthusiastic about the Blue Jackets. They debate it for a while but can never decide which possibility is creepier. Most of their conversations are about nothing, just television and food and waterproof mascara,  all of their usual small talk, only now they’re on the phone instead of sitting next to each other. It really sucks.

 

All of their conversations end with Jenni trying to sound like she isn’t totally miserable and Mike pretending to believe her. Being honest about this shit would just make it hurt worse. It sucks, it really really sucks, but there isn’t anything they can do about it.

 

=

 

Getting sent to L.A. is the best. There isn’t much more to say.

 

Living with Mike and Arnold feels more like home than Columbus ever did. They’re winning games. She likes the team and the city. It isn’t in Ohio. She has no complaints.

 

It doesn’t matter that she still doesn’t know what “We’re not doing this now” means. Life with the Kings is an adequate distraction, while the Blue Jackets weren’t and her hypothetical cats never would have been.

 

They’re winning games in L.A. Not as many as they want to, but enough. They win more than in Columbus. It’s nice to win games and then go out together. No one cares who they are here.

 

Mike’s breasts still have power, even though there are way more chicks with big boobs in L.A., but Mike’s are real and really special. Mike quickly picks out an admirer worth her attentions. His name is Levi and he’s cute enough, but more impressively he doesn’t assume that Mike would want one of the sugary cocktails that hot girls in bars are supposed to drink, but instead asks her what she wants, suggesting that she try the whisky he’s having.

 

He seems like a good decision for a one night stand, but he doesn’t have a friend, which is fine, because Jenni is very capable at picking up on her own. Only  when she tries to get up Mike’s fingers wrap around her wrist and don’t let go. It isn’t a tight hold, she could get away if she wanted to, but Mike is asking her not to leave, and that means Jenn isn’t leaving.

 

When Levi gets up to buy them another round Mike turns to Jenn and asks, “So, you’ve never had a threesome before, right?”

 

It is a good thing Jenni doesn’t have anything to drink because she would probably have seriously choked, not just coughed and blushed as she shook her head no.

 

Mike reaches over to pat her on the back. When she’s breathing normally again Mike asks, “What do you think about it?”

 

Jenni hasn’t thought of it. “Um...”

 

Mike’s hand slips to the small of her back. It’s distracting.

 

“You remember that time in New York, right?”

 

There have been a lot of times in New York, but yeah, Jenni knows the one Mike means. Mike means the time they kissed. She nods.

 

“That was good, right?”

 

Jenni nods again. Mike’s hand falls to rest on her hip.

 

“I think this could be really cool,” Mike says. “You trust me, right?”

 

Jenni can answer this. “Of course.”

 

“Awesome,” Mike says. “This is gonna be a great.”

 

It is.

 

They go home. They make out. Mike’s still a great kisser. Jenni rides Levi’s cock with Mike’s hands on her hips, telling her how to move. When she comes she falls backwards, into Mike’s arms, against her ridiculous magnificent tits. She stays like that as Levi thrusts up towards his orgasm, and it’s almost too much but Mike is holding onto her hand and really it’s just enough.

 

Levi slides between Mike’s thighs. Jenni isn’t sure what she should be doing, but Mike makes it easy, pulling her in for another kiss. Eventually they aren’t really making out, but Mike’s breathing tiny noises into Jenn’s mouths while their bodies are pressed together, which is pretty excellent.

 

Jenni’s heard Mike come before, but it’s always been happening across the room, not right in her ear. It’s better like this.

 

Afterwards Mike shows Levi out, but Jenni isn’t moving until it’s morning. Arnold hops up on the bed; Mike has to shove at both of them, complaining about how this is her bed as she climbs under the covers.

 

They wake up with intertwined limbs, and it’s kind of awkward, but not too awkward. They take a moment, untangle, and then go play hockey.

 

=

 

They don’t talk about it. That isn’t surprising, they don’t talk about lots of things. They’re busy, competing for a spot of the play offs and cooking dinner and walking Arnold on the beach. Jenni hardly has time to think about the way Mike’s mouth fits against hers or what “now” meant.

 

They get into the playoffs and they’re winning and it’s great. Doughty chirps at them for not shaving their legs but they started that way back when they won the Calder with the Phantoms, so he should shut up. It isn’t anything that anyone sees, it’s just a thing they do.  And who has time for leg shaving when there is playoff hockey to play? Jenni hardly has time to breathe.

 

They get a night off before the finals. There was a point in time, not that long ago, that this would mean a night on the town, but Jenni is so fucking tired. They can stay home. It doesn’t mean they’re old. It’s not like anyone in L.A. cares what they do.

 

It’s just her and Mike hanging out, drinking beer and watching bad tv. Arnold had been on the couch with them, but then Jenni wanted to stretch out and he got unceremoniously kicked to the floor. Jenni isn’t paying attention to the television. Her head is resting in Mike’s lap, Mike’s fingers are combing through her hair, and it’s nice to not have to think about anything.

 

If someone had asked her in October where she would be at the end of April, she wouldn’t have said here. This is better than anything she would have imagined. She’s in the same timezone as Mike, she’s on the same team as Mike, she’s right where she belongs. No one is in Ohio. (Well, except for Jack Johnson and Rick Nash, but Jenn doesn’t care about them.) The time spent in Ohio taught her what it’s like to be very far away from Mike: it’s no good at all. This is how they belong: close, very very close.

 

Jenn really wants to kiss Mike. That’s an understatement. She needs to kiss Mike. That’s an exaggeration, but not much of one. Jenni wonders if it’s “now” yet. She hopes so. It feels like “now.”

 

She sits up and leans into Mike’s personal space, smiling at the way Mike’s blinking at her, looking slightly flustered over how close their faces are.

 

“Hey.” Jenn tucks a stray strand of hair behind Mike’s ear and smiles. She leans in and brings their mouths together, at the same time sliding her hands around Mike’s waist. Mike kisses back. Jenn knows this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time; she kissed back when they were in Sea Island too, at least at first. But Mike keeps on kissing back, bringing them closer and closer together.

 

There isn’t any rush. They’re comfortable making out on couch. This is the way things are supposed to be.

 

Jenn pulls away to take a breath but finds herself yawning widely instead. Mike pushes a strand of hair out of her face and says, “We’re tired, we should go to bed. There’s more hockey tomorrow.”

 

They walk up stairs. Jenn doesn’t drop Mike’s hand. They change into pajamas and Mike bullies them into brushing their teeth. Then they climb into Mike’s big bed. It takes a couple of tries to find a way to be close and comfortable, but eventually they settle in, tangled together.

 

They fit like this; close, very very close.

 

**Author's Note:**

> THERE COULD TOTALLY BE A SEQUEL ABOUT HOW THEY’RE TOTALLY COUPLEY BUT THEN DECIDE TO SLEEP WITH TAZER WHO USED TO BE MIKE RICHARD’S FUCK BUDDY, AND THEN A THREESOME, AND MIKE HAS A STRAP ON AND IS AWESOME, BUT I’M NOT WRITING MORE SMUT.
> 
> you random people on the internet should write it!


End file.
